An entire weekend without seeing any evidence of other humans. No post. No phone calls. No dog walkers. Villagers hidden away in warm dry houses. On the walks not even one passing car or stray rambler. Helps when many of the roads are closed with overrunning roadworks or floods. Great fun in the pouring rain trying to play tennis on the pavement. Very cramped in an area probably not big enough for table tennis.

Sadly the relaxing weekend goes to quickly and dreaded school looms. A temporary change in school bus routes means more strange faces and much larger buses are running. No guarantee when the bus turns up. An absolute nightmare for a kid with Autism. If only that was the only thing.

Another heated discussion with school and the authorities. Both reassuring us that measures have been put in place which ensure compliance with government requirements and allows all kids a fair chance of performing well. Yeh right. Keep the Government happy – Sod the kids in effect…. Clearly certain parties need to lookup the definitions of all and fair. So this weekend our son’s homework basically is all about writing out three times all his spelling mistakes and unclear handwriting attempts. That’s going to expand his mind and boost his confidence!!

Then to cap it off he has to revise for an English Test. The test is an old school Spelling one. Learn 20 words.

Language

Presented

Sherlock

Through

Evidence

It’s the same spelling test for all in the class. No extra time or help for any child. Again maybe it just me and my cabin fever. If it is please just delete this post. But how is this fair. On what planet is this supposed to have any positive impact on any child with dyslexia and autism. Designed to fail AGAIN. For all the required words our son can give definitions for and provide alternative examples of how to use the word correctly in spoken English. But this is not important apparently. Not what school and the government wants. The focus is on getting all kids to just spell by learning parrot fashion a list of predefined words. If you can’t do this then you are low attainment. A failure. A faulty item.

Education is filled with really good, dedicated and caring teachers. Yet they are increasingly told how to teach and to focus on a narrowing range of objectives. Objectives not about the interests of the child. It’s all about Satisfying the Government. The agenda is that money should go to fund tax cuts for the rich rather than on unimportant things like school budgets. To make sure this happens Schools need to follow the tried and tested factory model. Increasingly large production runs which help drive down costs. Eliminate natural variations and reduce choice. Children just seen in terms of inputs and outputs. Push them through the system. Those who don’t fit are labelled a problem and discarded as surplus to requirements.

I will tell you where the staggering stupidity and the real problem lies. It’s in those leaders pushing this dogmatic crap and equally on those who choose to vote for them. Shame on you.

So we move on into another uncertain week filled with too much anxiety for someone so young. Let’s hope a few Muppet and Spider-Man movies can briefly lift the mood. Even a bit of no space tennis might help. But surely the countless thousands of children who suffer deserve so much more than this. The really do.

69 thoughts on “Let’s spell out Monday”

  1. Well that sounds like a quiet weekend… at least time away from school for your son. Yes this is so unfair ! This just makes me want to bang my head in frustration for you. Something has to change. I so sorry my friend thinking of you both dearly . Hugs😥

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      1. Accept the blame when you can by helping him along and accept there is no blame. Sometimes it is what it is. Parents in the past accepted, raised kids in tough parts of New York, gave them books, encouraged creativity and sometimes cursed the system and the teachers but in the end the family and the raising of the child or children is what counts.

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  4. I’m sure it doesn’t make him feel any better to KNOW that it’s all 🐃💩. They’re grading how good of a performing monkey he is. He should be proud to remain a square peg.

    The teachers are just as frustrated. At least the good ones, the caring ones are. I follow a blog by a teacher who is so frustrated with the BS of administration at schools. It makes me wonder who is actually getting any benefit from the broken system?
    It’s like I’ve mentioned before, sometimes I’m thankful Ben is on the severe end of the spectrum. He’s got full supports and his teachers and therapists cheer his accomplishments, not harp on his struggles.
    Hugs!!💌

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  7. You have his back, your son is blessed to have you. We rail at the system and we fight when we have to and when we can. But we focus on always doing what we can for our kids because maybe there’s no one else who would.
    And sometimes, doing what we can constitutes telling our kids that something the school places great importance on has no real merit for us – so it’s okay to fail or to do badly. However much they get hurt at school because they don’t measure up to unfair standards, they have safe harbour in us. So, keep guiding him to cope with the world. I think he’ll need that more than anything else, especially if change comes too slowly. Or never.

    One day, our voice will be the only voice that reverberates within them and it’ll be all that matters.

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      1. In my country, it’s already stretched to 2 generations. Last year, we voted in a new government and my hopes were high. But that’s all gone now. So, if change does come somewhere down the years, good, but I can’t wait for it. We are unofficially in mixed mode here – formal schooling plus homeschooling – normal school hours followed by intensive coaching when they get home. That’s kicking into a higher gear next year because needs have deepened. Last weekend at the younger ones’ school was proof enough that the system has broken down even further and the school is fine with it.

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  9. The children, YOUR child, definitely deserve better!
    Times have changed and yet things seem to be stuck in the old ways. Seems educations only progression has been to worsen. And everyone says it. And everyone is against it. And they know it. Boggles the mind that still nothing changes! 😦

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  12. My friend. I know one thing. In all of this fiasco, this shocking fiasco, your son will somehow succeed because he is a bright boy and a bright light and let’s face it, he won’t be the only one not to spell these words and YOU will let him know that spelling these words is not everything and a system built on such *!6$ is bound to fail, not him

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      3. Of course he will. I think cos the ‘government’ decrees it if a kid does not pas this or that test, they are a failure, but think of all the ones you must once known yourself who have done really well. Just found their niche, made their way, maybe not as expected but hey… and let that be your beacon.

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  14. Pingback: Let’s spell out Monday – A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. – International Badass Activists

  15. It’s not right. I can understand why you are so frustrated. I feel so bad for your son. Here’s hoping beyond all hope he has some good things happen for him at school this week. Hugs!

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  18. I can only echo what others have posted here. I fight against this ALL the time. It’s not just your country. That nonsense is running rampant across the puddle, too. Continue to fight the good fight. Speak out. And your son knows you love him and understand him. That’s huge.

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  19. Education is such a tough thing no matter where you are. I don’t know the right way to do it, all I know is that what we are doing is the wrong way. Leaves way too many children out of the equation. The way we teach is never relevant to to ways that people actually succeed in life.

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  22. interesting..i take care of an autistic child as a nightshift home care RN here in the U.S. It sounds like the same thing many of our special needs children go through over here. The family i work for has 3 of them and they have to fight for every little thing- whether it be through insurance or the education system or any outside help. I feel for you:(

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